Read Luke 1:26-31. We live in a bleeding world full of civil war, genocide and hate but God is not indifferent or uninvolved. In fact God as creator is a healer-restorer and acts through people to intervene to bring about change, hope and healing. Mary, in this passage in Luke, is an amazing illustration of God's action. Basically God appears to Mary and says "I am going to act in behalf of humankind, and I am going to use you!"

• Has God ever acted on your behalf by using someone to help you? Explain.
• If God said to you, “I am going to act and use you in a way no one else understands,” would you be excited or scared?

Read Luke 1:32-37 and Isaiah 9:6-7. To be able to say yes as a servant, we must understand that God is truly in charge of history and is moving forward with the divine purpose of bringing the kingdom of God into this fallen and broken world. However, God chooses to bring about justice and righteousness through the "way of the cross" and not the way of brute power and elite status.

• History is moving forward with a divine purpose. How have you experienced this? How does this give you hope?
• How threatening is Jesus’ call for us to take “the way of the cross,” by giving ourselves in service and sacrifice to God?

Read Luke 1:38. This upside-down Kingdom of vulnerability and humility goes against the "Jesus of the American dream" which seeks security, comfort and prosperity instead of sacrifice and service. Just as Mary was willing to take a huge risk, go through the pain of an being isolated and ostracized, and totally rely on God, we too are called to live lives of sacrifice and service in being the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth.

• How has serving security, comfort or prosperity kept you from serving Jesus and the kingdom of God?
• There is always pain involved with sacrifice and service. How much pain are you currently willing to go through to further the Kingdom of God on earth?

When we live our lives as the true body of Christ, serving others and bringing Christ's healing power to our world, we become the visible demonstration of Christ's presence and purpose on earth. We also become a part of God's divine plan in history to bring the kingdom of God into every part of our world. This now invisible kingdom will one day become visible at Christ's return where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

• Name a way you have sacrificed to help further the Kingdom of God?
• What is one way you can begin to serve God’s calling this year?
• God acts through us by conceiving ideas, carrying plans full term and giving birth to action. Are you currently in one of these steps? What do you need to do to get to the action step?